From The Ashes
by Lady Kogawolf
Summary: IYYYU Crossover Kagome is dead. But, the shikon jewel decides to change her fate and her destiny. Kagome soon finds that allies and love hide in the strangest of places. HieiKagome pairing I don't own IY or YYH. Disclaimer goes for entire fic.
1. In The Beginning

A/N: My muse and I have gained a fascination with the Kagome/Hiei pairing, not to mention the YYH crossovers. So, I have come up with this little fic featuring that pairing, and I do hope you guys enjoy. Please read and review. It makes my muse happy, happy.

* * *

It was simply amazing. Kagome could not believe that their plight had gained so much attention, and now, they had a small army to help them against Naraku. She grinned as she glanced around and realized that despite the obvious discomfort, youkai and human were all willing to put aside their prejudices and fight along side one another.

She could not help but giggle at the way Sesshomaru-sama would glare over at his younger half-brother, but remained quiet. He came to them and stated that he would simply be around long enough to help kill Naraku, but after that, the treaty between him and Inu Yasha would be over.

The hanyou didn't seem to care. His attentions were focused on the dead miko, who had also joined the group only days earlier. When she first arrived, she pulled Kagome aside and said that while she understood that her soul no longer belonged to her, she would not be giving up the small pieces that Kagome gave to her. But, she would no longer taunt Kagome, and would begin instructing her in use of the power that Kikyo knew the younger miko held. True to her word, Kagome found Kikyo to be a very good teacher, but still remained as cold as ever, except with Inu Yasha.

Neither hanyou or miko seemed to care about grudges any longer. They were content to be with each other and would handle whatever fate threw them. Kagome finally got it through her head that she would only be a friend to the hanyou, and though it was hard, she accepted it.

Kouga and Ayame brought their packs to help, and announced that they mated a sort time earlier. It made Kagome happy to see that her friend finally moved on with his life and took the red-head as his mate. She was the perfect match for him, but still seemed uneasy around Kagome, mostly because she knew that Kouga still cared very much for the human miko.

Other youkai lords and ladies also lent their support. The lords of Japan, human and youkai, had grown tired of Naraku's threat and wanted his terror to stop. They, too, were interested in the shikon jewel, but only to see it destroyed. Real power, they said, was held within one's own self, and not some trinket. Kagome had to admit, they were right.

However, the biggest surprise came only two days ago, when a group of strangers approached them. At first, the small army, and strangers stared at each other, but then an elderly woman pushed herself forward and cleared her throat.

"I am Genkai. This group behind me and I have been sent by Koenma, prince of the spirit world, to aid you in your battle against the creature known as Naraku." She said.

At first, no one said anything, but then Sesshomaru stood up and calmly asked, "So, the spirit realm knows about Naraku, and is just now sending help? How generous."

"Koenma was waiting to see what you dimwits were going to do with the hanyou, but seeing as how none of you can seem to stop him yourselves, he sent us." Genkai replied, her tone cold.

Kagome jumped up and slowly approached the elderly woman, aware that the others behind her tensed and waited to see what she was going to do. Her group, also tense, watched as Kagome stopped in front of Genkai and bowed respectfully.

"Hi, there. I'm Kagome, and thank you for your offer of help. We need all the help we can get, I'm afraid. Naraku is pretty sneaky." She explained.

Miroku stood up and joined the young miko and also bowed. "I think, Kagome-sama, that it would be wise if we allowed our newest allies to sit and listen to what we know about Naraku. That will give them a better understanding of what they are going to be dealing with." He said, his hand coming down and stroking Kagome's bottom.

Kagome yelped and whipped around, smacking the monk as hard as she could, before turning away and muttering, "Hentai."

The monk, grinned and sighed happily, as he stared at his hand. But, when a hand snatched his ear, he knew that his sweet Sango was about to deliver her own brand of justice. Oh, well. If buddah was with him, he'd be awake for dinner.

The group glanced at each other, and moved forward to sit with the beings that they would be fighting aside. None of them were prepared for what they were hearing, but from the sounds of things, they were dealing with the devil himself.

Kagome's eyes were sympathetic as she watched the faces of their newest fighters. She nodded, and softly said, "Naraku is capable of things that are so hideous, and he delights in the misery of others. I guess you might say that he takes sadistic to a whole new level."

Yusuke gritted his teeth and pulled Keiko closer to him. Damn it, if he had known it was going to be this bad, he would have left her behind.

Kuwabara shook his head and reached over to grip Yukina's hand, ignoring the way Hiei was growling at him. He, too, didn't like the idea of Yukina around, especially if this enemy was as bad as what they were told. But, he would shield her from danger and would give his life for her, simply because he loved her.

Kurama watched the youkai and humans before him. All of them seemed to be deep in their own thoughts, and if Youko was correct, they were going to need to be able to fight together if they wanted to defeat this hanyou and go home safely.

Hiei glared at Kuwabara, but then allowed his eyes to move over the group. When his eyes and a pair of soft brown eyes met, he narrowed his and looked away. He didn't like the idea of his sister in that gorilla's arms, but he could feel her contentment, and decided not to anything about it...yet.

Kagome could feel the smaller youkai's contempt, but she didn't know what she had done to make him angry. Perhaps it was because she was human. Sighing, she looked at the ground, and felt her shoulders sag. It was clearly going to be a long night.

* * *

The battle with Naraku happened much quicker than anyone expected. At first, Kagome thought that it was just another one of his puppets, but it turned out that the hanyou simply grew tired of waiting.

He had several other youkai with him, and smirked when he saw the rag-tag group with Inu Yasha. He also noticed that like the younger miko, there were others with the group who were dressed strangely, and who gave off different auras, auras that told him that should he take any unnecessary chanced, he would fall very quickly.

Kagura was the first one to attack, and was quickly countered by Kikyo. Sesshomaru ordered his army to move forward, and heard the other lords order their armies to move as well. Soon, the battle field was filled with the sounds of screams, and the stench of blood. Kagome, Shippo, Keiko, and Yukina stayed back, their eyes wide as they watched the ones they loved fighting for their lives.

Kagome noticed that red-head named Kurama, straighten to his full height, and smirk. Within a minute, where Kurama had stood, now stood a taller, silver-haired kitsune. This kitsune could rival Sesshomaru-sama with his looks, and cold gaze. And, as he cut down his enemies, it was clear to Kagome that he simply reveled in the act of killing.

But, it was a movement off to Kagome's right that caught her eye. Like a true coward, Naraku managed to slink out of battle and was on the sidelines, a nasty smirk upon his face. Kagome turned to Keiko, and shoved Shippo in her arms, earning herself a gasp from the girl.

"Please, watch over him. I will be right back, I promise." Kagome said, her hands tightening around her bow. Both Keiko and Yukina nodded, and watched as Shippo cried for Kagome not to go. However, the miko was slowly making her way down the steep incline with an arrow already notched in her bow.

Naraku never even noticed her approach. His senses were overwhelmed with the scent of blood, and he was gleefully watching as his enemies were hurt. So, when a sacred arrow hit him, all he could do was stare at it a moment before the pain made him scream out.

Upon hearing Naraku's scream, Kagome notched another arrow and let that fly, as well. When it embedded itself into the hanyou, she saw him turn towards her, his eyes a pure red.

"You bitch." Naraku seethed, his body shifting into a large spider. "I should have killed you off years ago, but now, I'll correct that mistake."

The fighting had stopped and it was Inu Yasha's scream for her to run that broke her out of her trance. She turned, but was not quick enough to escape Naraku's leg as it pieced her body. Laughing, the hanyou lifted the injured miko up and brought her up to his face.

"Well, well. Look at what I have caught myself. A weak, pathetic, ugly, human girl. Tell me, miko. How does it feel to know that you will never be good enough for any male. Inu Yasha should be proof of that. After all, you're too stupid to keep his attention. No one will ever love you, nor will they care that you are dead. Your life ends now, you pathetic wretch." He sneered, not realizing that Kagome's hand had snaked out and snatched his half of the shikon jewel from his neck.

As he hit her, Kagome managed to hold onto the shikon, purifying it and when he threw her onto the ground, she managed to flip onto her side and join her half with the purified half that Naraku held. But, Kagome knew that she was dying and didn't have much time. She turned onto her back and gazed up at the hanyou, who was grinning.

Holding up the completed Shikon, Kagome smiled. "I may be pathetic, and will probably lose my life, but Naraku, you'll go before I do."

Naraku's face twisted into a mask of rage and he dove towards Kagome, intent on claiming the jewel, but stopped when the jewel lifted itself from Kagome's hand and dove back into the spot where it had been ripped from, fading back into the skin, leaving it completely flawless.

Kagome turned her head to look at the group that was quickly advancing, and she threw up a barrier between them and her. She was going to kill Naraku off. She would be the one to make the world safer for her beloved kitsune to grow up in. Besides, this has gone on for too long, and she was so tired.

Pushing herself up, Kagome stood on wobbly legs, and watched as Naraku glared down at her. She could feel the shikon pulsing in her body, and as the hanyou came forth, she held out her hands to ward him off with her spiritual energy, but was stunned when her hands glowed with energy that reminded her of fire.

Naraku stopped in his tracks and slightly backed off. He could feel the air around them crackling with an energy that he had never felt before and it frightened him. He watched as Kagome's eyes turned from brown to the color of the flames that surrounded her hand, and he began to shake.

Kagome didn't understand what was going on. The power was unlike anything she had ever seen, and from the look upon Naraku's face, whatever it was scared the hell out of him. She could hear Miroku and Sango screaming her name, but she could not take her eyes off of her enemy. In her mind, she could hear a whispering suggestion for her to destroy the hanyou before her, and realized that she was helpless to deny the suggestion.

Naraku only had a moment to repent for his deeds before a powerful blast engulfed him. He witnessed all the evil he had done, and felt his skin melting off of his body. Screaming in agony, his soul was flung into the abyss of death, and all that was left of him was nothing more than a pile of bones and ash.

The barrier faded, and Inu Yasha darted forward, ignoring the screams for him to stop. The air around him was suffocating, but he didn't care. He had to get to Kagome, to help her. But, when he came upon Kagome, he saw her lying on the ground, her lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.

Kneeling down, Inu Yasha pushed at her shoulder, and hissed, "Get up. Do you hear me, Kagome? Get up, you lazy bitch."

When Kagome didn't move, didn't blink, the inu hanyou pulled her up and into his lap. He knew she was gone. Gone forever, and there wasn't anything he could do for her.

When the smoke cleared and they could see clearly, they saw Inu Yasha sitting with the miko in his lap, crying hysterically.

He looked up when he noticed the others approach, and gently placed Kagome upon the ground, before moving towards his brother.

Sesshomaru readied himself for the curses, and demands, but was shocked when the younger hanyou threw himself to the ground at his feet.

"Please," He sobbed, "Please, Sesshomaru, save her. You have tensaiga. You can bring her back. Please."

The youkai lord took in a deep breath, and moved forward, the sounds of crying echoing in his ears. He stood above the miko, and waited for the familiar pulse, but when it didn't come, he took the sword out of its sheath, and glared at it. He waited for a few minutes, and when the pulse did not come, he sighed and resheathed the sword.

He turned back to the army of friends and allies, and shook his head. "The sword will not revive her. She is gone, Inu Yasha." He said, his golden eyes staring down into a pair of identical eyes. He felt an emotion, but refused to give it any attention. He squared his shoulders, but then turned and knelt down beside the lifeless miko. Gently, he ran his hand over her eyes, shutting them before lifting the miko's body into his arms and turning back to the group.

"We will take her back to the old miko that resides in the village of Inu Yasha's forest. She will be given a proper funeral. Let us go." He said, his tone as cold as he began to walk off the battlefield.

The small army left the battlefield, and many commented that Naraku's army had fled. Even though they had only lost one, that loss was the greatest.

* * *

Kaede and the villagers worked quickly. Once Kagome had been returned to them, a funeral pyre had been constructed and her body was cleaned and she was placed in the tradition miko garb. Finally, when night arrived, it found a large group of people, youkai and human, surrounding a young woman's body.

Kaede spoke of the young woman, and when she was finished, she nodded at Inu Yasha, who came forward with a torch and lit the pyre. He watched as his friend's body was engulfed in flames, and didn't notice when his brother came to stand beside him.

"The treaty will continue, out of respect for her. I will not hunt you, and in turn, you will begin your duties as prince of the western lands. Father, and the mi-, Kagome, would have wanted that." Sesshomaru said, his eyes watching the girl's form being melted by the flames.

In front of everyone, Sesshomaru bowed in respect to the young miko, and noticed that the other lords did, as well. Soon, everyone bowed, except for Hiei.

To him, death was inevitable. The girl was lucky to escape this painful existence. However, he did give a nod of his head, and turned his back when the elderly miko thanked them for bringing Kagome back to her, and the village.

As his group made their way to an old well, led by the monk, Miroku, they were stunned when the monk stopped and said, "The villagers are going to build a shrine in Kagome's name. We thank you for all of your help, and if you ever need any help, please keep us in mind. As far as we are concerned, you are part of our pack."

Yusuke nodded and extended his hand for the monk to shake. "We really are sorry for your loss." He murmured, his eyes straying over to Keiko, who was still very pale. He could hear Yukina's sobs and knew that the ground around her and Kuwabara was probably littered with the precious stones that she produced when she cried.

"Kagome-sama was a very special person. She took a lot of abuse, and in turn, gave her love freely. We are going to miss her, and still love her very much. It is our hope that she is alive and well in your time period, and is living a life that she should have had she not been pulled into this well." Miroku said, his tone soft.

Genkai sighed. "As a favor to all of you, we will go and see for ourselves. If she is alive, we will watch over her. She will never get involved in anything like this again." She promised, her eyes watching as the monk broke out into a smile.

"Yes, we would like that very much. Well, as promised, I brought you to the gate that Kagome used. You did say that your prince would allow it to open for you, am I correct?" He asked. When the group nodded, he moved away and bowed to the group. When they jumped, he watched as blue light flashed from inside the well, and moved to look over the well's rim. When he was satisfied that no one was left behind, he reached into his robes, pulled out a hammer, and began the task of breaking down the well. Never again would it be used.

* * *

Warmth. That was what she felt. She sighed and wondered where she was, and when she glanced around, she realized that all she could see was black. Sighing, she held out her hands and moved forward slowly, not wanting to trip over anything.

But, when her fingers came into contact with something solid, she snatched her hands back and gulped.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice shaking. She waited for a minute, and sighed. But, then jumped when a male voice began to chuckle.

"I was wondering when you were going to decide to move. Took you long enough." The voice said, chuckling.

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome whispered, "Who are you?"

"I do not have a name, really. You see, I am made up of four different souls." The voice explained. "I suppose you may call me Shikon."

"Shikon? Like the jewel?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, just like the jewel." Shikon replied. "I am the jewel in a humanoid form."

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "What do you want with me? And, why am I not dead?" She wondered.

"What do I want with you?" Shikon mused. "Well, I want you to take what is rightfully yours. I want you to rise from your ashes and fly strong, because a new threat is on the horizon. As for why you are not dead, I am afraid that you are, in fact, dead. You simply have not crossed over."

Kagome paled. She thought back to the battle with Naraku and could remember feeling numb after he pierced her body. After that, she can't remember anything.

"If you are the jewel, why not let Midoriko out and have her fight?" Kagome asked. "You heard Naraku. He's right. I am weak, ugly, and pathetic."

Shikon broke out into laughter, and ignored the indignant huff that came from Kagome. When he finally managed to speak, he asked, "And, why may I ask, are you listening to him? You'd better learn that people or youkai will say anything to distract their opponent, and as for me letting Midoriko out to fight, well, I can't. She is no longer in a form that would allow her to fight. Besides, can't you feel her? She would not have suggested you, if she didn't believe that you'd be the best choice. After all the time spent together withing the jewel, it has become clear that she is not one to chose lightly on things like this. Besides, you didn't really think that you were alone. When you were born with the jewel inside of you, you and Midoriko became one."

Kagome felt a slight breeze flow across her cheek in a gentle caress, as if someone's fingers were gently running across the soft skin. Kagome felt safe and warm here, and realized that maybe, just maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought she was.

As if reading her thoughts, Shikon softly said, "Yes, she was with you when you met the hanyou named Inu Yasha. She was with you when Kikyo was revived, and when that wolf, Kouga claimed you as his woman. She was there when you realized that you would not be anything more to Inu Yasha than a friend, and she was there with you when you took your last breath. Kagome, Midoriko and the souls chose you because your heart is the strongest we have ever seen, and now, we have decided to give you something more. The tiny amount of power that was used against Naraku was a power as ancient as time itself. It must be harnessed, or chaos could prevail. We have chosen you to be its vessel."

"Vessel?" Kagome asked, tensing. She didn't really like the sound of this.

"Yes, Kagome. You will become the weapon that will stop this threat. You are to be the protector of the earth, spirit, and demon realms. Kagome, miko of the shikon jewel, you are granted with the power of the phoenix. From your ashes, you will rise. Go forward, and fear nothing. You are the thing to be feared now." Shikon said, his tone hard.

Kagome felt a strange tingling in her fingers and toes. She glanced up in the darkness. "Will I become youkai?" She asked.

"No." Shikon replied. "You will remain in a human body and Midoriko will help you obtain your ultimate power. She will guide you, and in turn, you will defend. The only things that will change will be your eyesight, and hearing. Other than that, you are completely human."

Kagome looked around, and realized that her hearing was indeed sharper. However, her eyes still could not detect anything.

"Why is it so dark?" She asked.

Shikon chuckled. "In the beginning, it is always dark."


	2. Phoenix Reborn

Yusuke grimaced and glanced behind him. The others were staring back and him, waiting to see what he would do. Taking in a deep breath, he slowly let it out and said, "Ok, let's go." He began the climb and thought back to when they jumped into the well. Koenma stated that he adjusted the magic so that they would find themselves back in his office, and when they returned, they gave him a full report, and left with instructions to go to Kagome's family and explain to them what happened should the girl not be there.

They followed him up the stairs, each wondering what they would find at the top, but when they reached the top, they found the shrine to be very quite, and well kept. Yusuke glanced around and then moved over to the house. He could hear people talking and he hoped, prayed that Kagome was one of the people talking in the large house.

He knocked, his eyes staring intently as the door knob, and when it turned, he bit his lip, wondering what he was going to say.

The woman who answered was very pretty, and she smiled at the group. "Hello, there. Can I help you?" She asked.

Yusuke paled, and allowed his mouth to flop open. Words could not seem to come, and as he watched the woman's eyes narrow in concern, he panicked and quickly said, "Kurama has something he'd like to ask you, ma'am."

The red-headed kitsune gasped and shot the detective an evil glare as he moved forward. He looked at the woman, and cleared his throat before calmly asking, "Is Kagome home?"

The woman smiled. "I'm afraid not. She is, well..." She started, but was interrupted when an elderly man's voice yelled out, "Kagome is in the hospital having her other appendix removed."

They heard a young boy whisper, "Gramps, you do know that everyone is born with just one appendix, right?"

"Well, I'm running out of things to come up with, so be happy I came up with that on short notice." Gramps huffed, his voice indignant.

"Ahem...Will you two be quiet?" Mrs. Higurashi said, her eyes darting nervously to the group. She lifted an eyebrow when the first young man slowly approached her.

"Ma'am, we know that Kagome travels to the feudal era. We need to know if she has returned." Yusuke said, his eyes trained upon hers.

Mrs. Higurashi slowly regarded each person silently, before opening the door all the way. "I think that perhaps you'd better come inside." She said, worry etching on her face.

When everyone was settled, Mrs. Higurashi calmly asked, "What do you know? Please don't lie to us. Just tell us the truth."

"She died." Hiei said, his tone curt. He didn't see the point in prolonging the family's heartache any longer than necessary.

"This is a joke, right?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, standing up. "Inu Yasha would never allow Kagome to be hurt."

"I'm afraid that he didn't have much control over the situation." Yusuke replied, wishing that Genkai had gone with them. He was sure that she could have done a far better job than he, but she needed to get back to her temple. "Kagome threw a barrier that prevented us, and her companions from reaching her and the hanyou known as Naraku. In the end, she was the one who killed him, but she died from the wounds that he inflicted."

Mrs. Higurashi swayed uneasily on her feet, and Kurama tensed, ready to move should the woman pass out. Souta was sobbing hysterically as Gramps allowed his tears to fall silently. Kurama quietly helped the woman back to a sitting position, and knelt down beside her.

"Kagome was a beautiful woman. It was an honor to meet her, and I thank you for bringing such a precious creature into this world. I want you to know that she was honored by the people who cared for her in the feudal era, and we will make sure that her soul is well taken care of." Kurama said, his green eyes never straying from hers.

Mrs. Higurashi sniffled and softly asked, "Who are you people?"

Yusuke stood up and moved to stand before the grief-stricken woman. "We, Mrs. Higurashi, we are spirit detectives, and we work for Prince Koenma of the spirit world."

* * *

She heard humming. At first, she thought that perhaps it was Shikon who was humming, but after asking him why it was so dark, and hearing his reply, she was suddenly blinded by a bright light, and when it faded, she found herself lying at the bottom of the well.

She recognized the so-called spell scrolls that her grandpa had placed above the well. He claimed that they would prevent any youkai from the feudal era from coming through, but Inu Yasha proved him wrong when he first came through. Now, as she stared up at the ceiling, she took in a deep breath and winced. Her body hurt and it felt as though she had been kicked in the ribs.

The humming grew louder, and she closed her eyes. She could hear the screams of Sango and Miroku as she faced Naraku. Now that she was able to think, she could recall the events up to her death, and was still amazed that with one blast from her hand, she managed to kill off the most vile being she had ever encountered.

Opening her eyes, she allowed her eyes to focus and slowly sat up. She looked down at herself, and gasped. She stark naked, and filthy. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she slowly rocked herself and allowed the feeling of pity to flow over her. Why did all the bad stuff happen to her?

'Quit feeling sorry for yourself and get your backside up that ladder. We are wasting time down here.' A feminine voice snapped, her irritation showing in her tone.

Gasping, Kagome glanced around, and winced again when the voice sighed and muttered, 'I'm in your mind, girl. Now, do as I say and move it.'

Kagome slowly got up and made her way up the ladder, before pulling herself over the rim and onto the dirt-covered ground. She laid there for several minutes, the pain in her body flaring to life with each movement. But, when she was recovered, she got up and moved to the doors of the well house. Opening the door, she could hear soft sobs and quietly crept out, her eyes glancing around and finally coming to rest upon the crumbled form of Souta, who was lying in front of the God's tree.

The boy was crying, his head buried in his arms, and for a moment, Kagome's mind flashed to Shippo. Oh, he must have cried like that, too, when she died.

Walking over to the boy, she softly called his name. "Souta."

* * *

"WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW? WHERE IN THE HELL IS HER SOUL?" Yusuke yelled, not caring that he was causing a scene.

Everyone winced at the detective's tone, and he only quieted down when Genkai smacked him upside the head and told him to shut the hell up. After speaking with Kagome's family, they went back to Koenma's office and found that Genkai was there, waiting on them. They went inside the plush office and explained what happened to the prince, and asked to see Kagome, but was shocked at his answer, thus causing Yusuke to erupt.

Koenma was in his teenager form, and he looked very upset. "I mean, Yusuke, her soul is not in the spirit world. We've looked, and have found nothing. It is as if her soul simply ceased to exist. We know that her ashes were scattered at the bottom of the old well, and that it was rebuilt into a shrine a few years after the monk destroyed it, but as far as where her soul is at the moment, well...we don't know." He said.

"Is it possible that her soul returned to the miko, Kikyo? After all, she is still kicking, even after all this time. From what I have heard, she and Inu Yasha have enjoyed several long years together, so maybe Kagome's soul went to her." Kurama mused, his forehead wrinkling in concentration.

"We thought about that, but when we approached Kikyo, she is still the same as she was five hundred years ago. Dead. No, that woman is still living off of the pieces of Kagome's soul, but as to where the rest of Kagome's soul is, well, that's a mystery." Koenma explained.

Before Koenma could say another word, the door to his office opened and the ogre who worked for him popped his head in. "I'm sorry, sir, but they want to see you, now." He said, his tone nervous.

Nodding, Koenma took in a deep breath. When the door opened, and the detectives turned, their eyes widening in shock.

Two humans walked in, and smiled. Both were dressed casually in jeans and t-shirts, and as the woman opened her mouth to speak, the man's hand wandered to her backside. She snapped her mouth shut, whirled around on the male, smacked him as hard as she could, then glanced at Koenma. "Could you not have made it a condition of our release from spirit world that his hand must not come into contact with mine or other womens' backsides?" Sango grumbled.

Koenma coughed to hide his amusement, but upon seeing Sango's glare, he quickly said, "I'm sorry, but no. I'm afraid that you will simply have to keep him in line, just as you did five hundred years ago."

"Please, my sweet Sango, I can't help but caress you. It's your beauty that calls to me, tempts me into stroking it. So, my dear, this is really all your fault." Miroku said, his violet eyes wide and innocent.

Sango was about to let him have it, but the door to the office slammed open and suddenly, the two humans grew quiet as everyone stared at the newcomers.

Sesshomaru walked in and behind him was Inu Yasha, Kikyo, Shippo, Kouga, and Ayame. All looked angry as hell, and before Sesshomaru could say a word, Inu Yasha strolled forward and grabbed the front of Koenma's haori.

"Why is it that we received word that you can't seem to locate Kagome's soul? Kikyo informed us that you came to visit her, but didn't realize what was going on until the rumors began to surface. Are you not aware that we, also, have contacts here in the spirit world and would know what is going on?" He snarled, his ears flattening to the top of his head.

Sango took in a deep breath and said, "Let him go, Inu Yasha. He can't tell us anything if he can't breath."

It was then that the hanyou finally noticed the two humans he had buried when their times to die finally came. Dropping the prince, he approached the monk and slayer, studied them for a moment, before yanking both into a hug. "How?" He demanded, when he pulled back to study them.

Koenma cleared his throat and caught everyone's attention. "I brought them back. I need their help, and all of your help, as well. As important as it is, Kagome's soul will have to wait. We have a much bigger problem." He said as he sat back down in his chair.

Genkai was immediately on alert. She knew that if he was calling everyone together whom he deemed powerful, then something bad was about to happen. "What is it?" She hissed.

"All of you know about the three realms. Earth, spirit, and youkai. However, there is another realm that has not been mentioned. Purgatory." Koenma said. "Purgatory is reserved for souls that are so evil, so wicked that they have no place in any of the other realms. We have been informed that one of Purgatory's worst creatures has escaped and from what I have been told, he is on the warpath."

"Let me guess," Sesshomaru said, his long legs crossed elegantly as he lounged in a chair, "It's Naraku."

"This creature makes Naraku look like a loving, little kitten." Koenma replied, and nodded when he saw many of his visitors pale. "His reign of terror is legendary in Purgatory. I'm afraid that we are going to have a very serious problem on our hands if he decides to make himself known to us."

Everyone was quiet, but the silence was broken when Hiei calmly said, "What do you know about this creature? I want to know what I am going to be chopping up with my katana. Don't leave anything out."

Koenma closed his eyes, and softly said, "Actually, I don't know that much about him. There is one who can tell you about him. I have spoken to him, and he has agreed to help, but for a price. He wishes to be reincarnated, with no memory of his prior life."

"What did you do, toddler?" Yusuke asked, his dark eyes narrowing. The prince did not answer, but silently waved his hand in the air, which caused a panel in his wall to lift. A man walked from the wall, his lips curved into a scowl, and Koenma softly said, "I would like you to meet Onigumo, otherwise known as Naraku."

* * *

Kagome laid in bed, and allowed the tears to slip from her eyes. When she called out to Souta, the boy jumped and when his eyes fell upon her, he screamed her name before launching himself into her. In all the commotion, her mother and grandfather came out of the house, their eyes red from crying, and screamed her name as well before joining Souta in a hug.

Her mother realized that she was nude and quickly helped her into the house. She drew her daughter a hot bath and sat with her as Kagome washed the dirt and grime off of her body. When she was cleaned, Mrs. Higurashi said, "They told us you were dead. What happened, Kagome?"

"I don't know, mama. I remember fighting Naraku, but then everything gets really hazy. I'm sorry that you were worried." She said. Her mother, ever so understanding, helped her dry off, and then helped her into bed. She left the room after ensuring that Kagome was not hungry, and shut the light off before closing the door behind her.

Now, as Kagome lay in bed, she felt guilty over causing her family such pain. 'That's the problem with being a phoenix...you are a natural empath. When someone you love hurts, you hurt.' Midoriko whispered. 'But, it can also be a great weapon. Go to your window and open it. Your lessons, little phoenix, begin now.'

Kagome slowly slid out of her bed and did as she was told. Once the window was open, she heard Midoriko say, 'First lesson is learning how to extend your senses and seeing behind veils, so to speak. Extend your senses out, but close your eyes. You don't need your eyes to see the truth behind a person. Shut your eyes and tell me what it is that you feel.'

Kagome shut her eyes and took in a deep breath. At first, she didn't feel anything, but was nearly thrown back when several different emotions hit her all at once. 'Which emotion is the one that stands out the most?' Midoriko asked.

"Anger. There is a lot of anger." Kagome murmured. 'Yes, anger is the emotion that you will feel most often and that is because it is simply human nature to be greedy and to envy, thus turing into anger when they find that they can't have what they want. Open your eyes and look at that house across the street. On the outside, it looks peaceful and calm, but tell me what you see on the inside.' Midoriko instructed.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and focused on the house. She had always envied that house, mostly because it was so pretty and the couple that lived in it seemed to be so in love. However, when she was able to see inside the house, what she saw made her cringe.

The husband was yelling at his wife, who was sobbing. He continued to accuse her of sleeping around, and would occasionally hit her. When he left the room, Kagome watched the wife move towards her dresser and open a drawer, pulling out a large bottle of whiskey, and proceeded to take large gulps of it.

'What did you see?' Midoriko asked. Kagome bit her lip and watched as the husband opened the front door and moved to his car. Her eyes followed him as he pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street. "I saw him accusing her of cheating on him, but she isn't. She has been completely faithful to him, but I can't say the same thing about him. He is cheating on her, and he thinks that since he is doing it, she must be doing it, as well, so he hits her as he accuses her. She is a closet alcoholic and neither of them know that she is pregnant." Kagome murmured, her heart going out to the woman and to the innocent baby that she carried.

'Yes, as you can see, your senses are so heightened, you can see things that not even they can see. Remember that while being empathic has its draw backs, it also can serve a wonderful purpose. Now, get some sleep. Your lessons will continue at dawn.' The older miko said.

Kagome groaned and prayed that the soreness she felt in her body would be gone by morning. If it didn't, she had a feeling she would be in for a rough time.

* * *

"You may call me, Onigumo. Naraku is a name that I would prefer to forget." The man before them said, as he gave a mock bow. He smirked when he heard the growls coming from all of the youkai. "Come now, is this anyway to begin a partnership? I think not."

Koenma sighed. "I know that you don't wish to work with him, but he has some very good and reliable information. And, he is the one who informed us that Chyjoko escaped." He explained.

"Who or what, exactly, is this Chyjoko?" Genkai asked. She stiffened when Onigumo moved forward. "Chyjoko is a shadow youkai. Think of everything that you were afraid of as a child, and multiply that by one thousand. He is a terror unlike anything that any of the realms have seen, and he takes great pride in his work." He explained, his voice in awe. "I could just imagine what we could have done together had we been partners."

He noticed that everyone was glaring at him, and he shook his head. "Don't worry. I have no desire for any further problems and just want to be reborn into a life that will give me a second chance." He muttered.

He glanced at Koenma and motioned his head to the door, indicating that he wished to leave. When given the nod, he calmly moved forward, but was stopped by Kikyo's voice.

"Why does the bandit, Onigumo, give a damn what happens to us? You sure as hell didn't care as Naraku, so why start now?" She demanded, her eyes flashing angrily.

Onigumo stopped and slowly turned to the miko. For the first time, his face was not in a sneer, smirk, or anything else. "Because I am lonely, miko. I want a family, and a life that could have been mine had I not screwed my last one up so badly. I fell in love with you in that cave, but knew that you would never love me with me being so badly burned, so I made a pact with hell and have paid for it every day since. No longer am I hindered by youkai lusts and am simply just a human man. I want to be happy and at peace." He said, his eyes softening at the prospect of finally being loved.

He turned once more, but this time, it was Hiei's voice that stopped him from leaving. "What about the miko, Kagome? What do you know about her soul?" He demanded.

Onigumo sighed and turned to face the shorter man. "I don't know anything about her lost soul. All I know is that I have never felt such pain as I did that day. Whatever she did to me, well, let's just say she put the fear of God into me and I have no intention of going through that again. If I hear anything about her, I will inform you, but I know this for certain. She is not in purgatory. I should know, I've been all over that place trying to find a way out. Now, please excuse me." he said, and quickly left the office before anyone could speak.

Everyone's eyes stared at the door before slowly moving over to Koenma. The prince paled, and took in a deep breath. "Ok, let's get down to business, shall we?"


	3. The Power Of Persuasion

Morning came, and it found Kagome sprawled in her bed. She grimaced when the light hit her eyes, and when she slowly opened them, she winced and groaned when she realized that the soreness that she felt the previous night seemed to double making it hard for her to move.

However, Midoriko was not about to let Kagome waste another minute in bed, and snapped, 'Get up and get dressed. Daylight is wasting away and we have a lot to do.'

Kagome pulled herself up and moved to her dresser. She pulled out a clean pair of panties and bra, before moving to her closet. Midoriko warned her to pick something loose, and Kagome could bet that whatever the miko had in mind involved her moving around a lot.

After a nice, hot shower, Kagome dressed and left her room. She felt much better and the hot water helped relax her aching muscles. She found her family in the kitchen and smiled at them as she slid in a chair.

"How did you sleep, Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, her eyes filled with concern. Kagome smiled up at her mom when a plate of hot food appeared in front of her.

"I feel like I can sleep for a few weeks," Kagome said, ignoring Midoriko's muttered reply for her not to even think about it. "But, overall, I feel really good."

"That's good. But, I still would like to throttle the necks of those young men who came here yesterday. After what they put us through, they'd be so lucky as to get away with only minor injuries." Mrs. Higurashi fumed.

Kagome paled and closed her eyes. Damn. She had completely forgotten about them. Midoriko whispered, 'You have to them not to inform anyone that you are here. We don't need any distractions, Kagome.'

"Mom, if they come back here, please don't tell them that I came back, alright? I don't want to see them, or answer their questions." Kagome pleaded, giving her mother her best puppy-dog eyes.

Mrs. Higurashi and grandpa eyed her suspiciously, but then nodded. After all, Kagome knew these people and if she didn't wish to see them, they would not force her.

Once breakfast was finished, Kagome announced to her family that she was going for a walk and would be back after a while.

When she was gone, grandpa turned to his daughter and asked, "Did you notice that Kagome's hair is much longer today than it was yesterday, and it is changing to another color."

Mrs. Higurashi bit her lip and nodded. "Yes, I noticed it, and until she says anything about it, neither of you are to say anything to her about it. Kagome will tell us in her own time and her own way." She instructed.

Both males nodded, and Souta moved to go and watch television. Even though she was a pain, it was good to have Kagome home.

* * *

The meeting had ended horribly, and now, as everyone sat in the courtyard of Genkai's shrine, it was clear that no one was in the mood for conversation. However, Genkai knew that they had work to do and stood up, her hands clasped behind her back.

"Ok, dimwits. Listen up and listen good. Koenma is right, and we will all have to worry about Kagome's soul later. We are also going to have to get used to the idea of working with Naraku or Onigumo or whatever he wants to be called. Like it or not, he is the best source of information for us." She said, her face hard as she stared at the people and youkai before her.

"How in the hell can you be so calm about this, granny?" Yusuke asked, his anger apparent. "You really expect us to be alright with working near that sadistic bastard?"

"Yes, I do, numskull." Genkai replied. "Koenma has ordered it, and we are going to do it. All of us."

Sesshomaru stood up and towered over the elderly woman. "I do not take orders from anyone." He snapped, his golden eyes narrowing.

Genkai allowed a smirk to form on her lips and she snickered. "Oh, yes you do. You take orders from Koenma, or he'll send your backside back to the youkai world so fast that your head won't have time to spin. Now, sit down." She ordered.

Kikyo stood up and looked at the old psychic. "A leopard cannot change his spots. Naraku will betray us." She warned.

"Yes, I am well aware that what you suggest is a strong possibility, but you heard him, miko. You heard his desires. I doubt he would be willing to risk his shot at a new life just so he can help kill us." Genkai replied.

Kurama cocked his head and glanced over at the hanyou, who sat beside the miko, and by his two human companions. Finally, his natural curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "Are you and the hanyou mated? I heard rumors that you were together, but I cannot detect his presence upon you."

Kikyo nodded her understanding. "The rumors flying around are that Inu Yasha and I are mates. Yes, I have heard of them, and no, they are not true, at least in the physical sense. Oh, we are together, but cannot be bonded in the most important way that matters. I am no longer part of the living world, and therefore, his mark would not remain upon me, but in every other way than that, we are mates." She said, smiling down at the hanyou, who gave her a large grin in return.

As the group began talking, and reacquainting themselves with one another, Botan arrived through a portal and bowed. She sighed and gave the group a sympathetic glance before saying, "I'm sorry to intrude, but he wishes to speak to all of you."

Onigumo moved out of the portal and onto the soft grass, before looking around and taking in a deep breath of fresh air. He glanced over at Botan and said, "Thank you, and I'll let you know if you are needed again. You may go."

Botan sniffed and lifted her nose in the air. She hated having to deal with him, but because Koenma ordered it, she had to do as Onigumo said. She waved to her friends, and walked back into the portal, but managed to flip Onigumo's back off before it closed. The gesture was not missed by anyone.

Glancing over his shoulder to make sure that she was gone, he moved forward and ignored the growls that were being sent his way. He shoved his hands into his pockets and said, "You need to be aware that Chyjoko is somewhere here in the earth realm."

Sesshomaru stood up and approached the former hanyou until he was eye to eye with the man. Onigumo simply stood his ground and after a minute, he said, "If you are trying to intimidate me, it is not going to work. Now, if you are done posturing, I suggest that you hear what I have to say."

Sesshomaru growled, but moved back. He could not detect the scent of fear off of the male before him, but did detect the scent of sadness. Could it be that Naraku, scourge of Japan, could feel remorse?

Once he had the group's attention, albeit grudgingly, he sat down on a chair and leaned forward. "Chyjoko has been gathering others to aid him in his little mission. It seems that he, too, has heard of the Shikon Jewel and wants it for himself. Now, from what I remember, the jewel disappeared back inside of the miko, Kagome, and has not been seen since, but he is determined to find it and use it to overthrow King Enma." He said, his red eyes moving from one person to the next before settling on Kikyo.

"I believe that he may attempt to go after Kagome's family. It would be wise to have Kikyo go to them and set up a barrier, at least until we know the extent of his power." Onigumo said, as he watched Kikyo stiffen.

"I doubt that her family will want me near, seeing as how I caused her a lot of pain while she was alive." Kikyo snapped, her eyes blazing with anger. Inu Yasha stood up and grasped her hand. "Kikyo, we are not the same people that we were five hundred years ago. Kagome knew that I could not be with her, not because I didn't care for her, but because I loved you too much to let you go. She stepped back, out of respect, and promised to stay beside me even though she knew of my feelings. I will go with you to her family, but as much as I hate to admit it, he is right. Without our help, Kagome's family will be easy targets." He said, his voice soft.

Kikyo bit her lip and shook her head. "How can I face them? We both know how much she cried over you. How can I look at them in their faces and expect them to welcome my help when I am the one who hurt her so badly." She whispered.

Hiei stood up and snorted. "If you don't mind, I would like to keep my breakfast from making an appearance. All of this self-pity is sickening. So you and the mutt fell in love and are together. Who the fuck cares? If you really wish to make things up to the miko, protect her family whereas she cannot." He snapped, his red eyes narrowing with contempt.

The courtyard grew very quiet, but then Genkai snickered, "Well, it's close to what I was going to say. Alright, do you know if he has a battle plan, yet?" She asked, turning to Onigumo.

The man shook his head, but narrowed his eyes. "Koenma believes that while this group is powerful, we will still be needing some help. For the most part, we are going to need people who are familiar with wars, and who can help us come up with an effective battle strategy." He said.

Sesshomaru and Kouga snorted. Standing up, Kouga said, "We don't need anyone's help. Between us, Sesshomaru and I have more than enough experience. Both of us lead large armies and are skilled in strategy."

"Yes, but you are used to fighting youkai. Chyjoko is enlisting the aid of both youkai and human. We will need people who know how to deal with the combined forces. Humans are not the same as they were in the feudal era. They have evolved, and gotten smarter." Onigumo said, his tone bored, but when he glanced over at Kuwabara and found the young man staring up at the sky with a bit of drool hanging out of his mouth, he thought, 'I stand corrected.' and then amended his earlier statement. "Well, most of them, at least."

Yusuke glared at the man and snapped, "Well, do you know who it is that will be working with us?"

Onigumo stood up and smirked. "Actually, yes. I do know who it is that Koenma is bringing to help you, and I know because I am the one who suggested them. They are three men, and Inu Yasha, I'm sure that you will remember them quite well, one in particular."

As the hanyou's eyebrows knitted together in concentration, Onigumo reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone that Koenma gave to him so that he could contact Botan. When the blue-haired girl appeared, Onigumo said, "It's time, Botan. Bring them to me."

Botan sighed and opened another portal, before glancing at Onigumo. "I really hope you know what you are doing. They caused a lot of problems the first time they were alive." She said, her eyes worried. But, when three forms appeared in the the portal, she sighed and said, "As requested, Onigumo. Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Suikotsu, at your service."

* * *

Kagome walked for nearly an hour before finding herself at the park. She watched as the children played and laughed. As a small boy ran by her, he tripped and fell to the ground, scraping his knee. The scent of his blood reached Kagome's nose and she shook off the sick feeling that came over her. Instead, she gently picked the boy up and helped brush him off. The boy stared up at her with large green eyes, and for a moment, the boy disappeared and Shippo's image appeared.

The boy patted her hand, breaking her of her trance and thanked her for helping him up. When she reached over to pat his head, Kagome stopped and felt her body grow cold.

Lying on the ground was the little boy, his neck ripped open and where other children had been, were several youkai feasting on their corpses. She felt the contents of her stomach moving uneasily, and then saw a larger youkai turn to face her, his lips coated with blood and within his claws was the body of her beloved kitsune. Shippo.

Kagome felt her hands tingling, but the feeling left when someone nudged her shoulder. Blinking, she stared into a pair of concerned eyes and heard a male voice ask, "Kagome, are you alright?"

Shaking her head, she looked around and found that the children were still playing and that the little boy was now clutching the leg of a very concerned Hojo. Giving her friend a shaky smile, she nodded.

"I'm sorry. I must have zoned out." She murmured, giving the small boy a gentle smile. Hojo nodded in understanding. "Yeah, with all the medicines you are on, that is something that will happen. So, other than that, how are you doing?" He asked, and waved for his little cousin to go play. He grasped Kagome's hand in his and led her over to a bench.

"I'm...fine. Thank you for asking, but not to sound rude, how did you know that I was here?" She replied, her eyes trained upon the children who were giggling happily.

Hojo's eyes narrowed. "Actually, I didn't. So, you want to tell me what is really going on with you, and don't bother with the excuses that you are sick or things like that. I stopped being naive years ago." He said, his tone soft.

Kagome's shocked eyes turned to his and he nodded. "I do know about you, Kagome. See, I came to your house about two years ago and saw you tell your family that you'd see them in a few days. I also saw your friend, the one with the ears on top of his head yelling for you to hurry up and both of you went into the well house. After a couple of minutes, I followed, only to find that the house was empty. So, explain to me what exactly you were doing, and please tell me the truth. School is over, so you don't have to worry about me running to them and telling them what I know." He murmured.

Kagome sighed and began to talk, and when she finally came to the end, leaving out her death, of course, she glanced over at Hojo and saw that he was deep in thought. Finally, he chuckled and shook his head. "You know, because of you, I nearly became a doctor. I was so interested in how someone with as many illnesses as you didn't die, but now that I know the truth, it is pretty funny."

Kagome gave him a weak smile, and asked, "So, since you are not a doctor, what do you do?"

Hojo stood up and reached for his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open. Inside was a shiny, silver badge and beside it was an identification card with the words Detective Hojo Akira printed on it. He sat back down and began to tell her why he joined the police force and that he finally realized that he had to let her go. In fact, he decided to go after Eri and after a year of dating, they married.

"My cousin over there is visiting my mom, but she and Eri and planning on a theme for the nursery for our first baby." He said, smiling. "We had to get out of the house before we went crazy, so here we are. The questions is, why are you here?"

Shrugging, Kagome said, "For the first time, I feel the need for something normal, you know? After all that I have seen and done, this feels like paradise to me. I envy you, Hojo. I wish that I was planning a nursery for my own baby, and I wish that I had someone to love me the way Eri loves you. But, most of all, I wish that I had a normal, boring life."

Hojo nodded and patted her shoulder. "We are all given hardships in our life, Kagome. Clearly, you've done well with what you have received. Just as I have. We all have hardships and secrets, and you don't have to worry, your secret is safe with me." He said, smiling down at her.

Kagome grinned and stood up. When he held his arms out, she happily went into them, and hugged him tightly. She was blessed to have him as a friend and was glad that he moved on to something better than what she would have given him.

When it was time to leave, Hojo wrote down his phone number and told her not to be a stranger. He wanted her to see the baby when it was born, and knew that Eri would love to talk to Kagome. After he and his little cousin left, Kagome heard Midoriko say, 'Well, he was a nice young man. Pity that you were so blinded by the inu hanyou not to see that handsome fellow.'

"It never would have worked out." Kagome murmured, and took in a deep breath. 'Yes, it is probably for the best. Your path in life has changed, and it would not be good for him should you have gotten together. So, are you ready for your next lesson?' Midoriko asked.

Sighing, Kagome nodded and listened to the old miko. She instructed Kagome in the ability to use nature as a weapon. 'Nature is its own weapon. The wind, water, lightening, and everything else tied to it, can be very effective in a battle. You must be able to tap into the force of nature if you ever wish to control it, and to do so, you must let go of your restrictions, especially mental ones. I want you to concentrate on the ground before you. You are going to command a rose to appear. Before you attempt to try, please remember that as phoenix, you are nature. You are neither human nor youkai. You are nature personified. Now, concentrate.'

For nearly three hours, Kagome tried, but simply could not get a rose to appear. She was, however, able to make a daisy, tulip, weed, and some poison ivy appear, but no rose. Finally, the miko within her mind snapped that her patience was at an end, and that the lesson was over. Kagome, feeling just as frustrated, snapped, "Well, excuse the shit out of me. I've only been a phoenix for a day and can't be expected to simply look at the ground, concentrate, and suddenly make a fucking rose appear."

But, as she said the words, a green stem appeared, and as it grew, it blossomed into a beautiful red rose, right before her eyes. Kagome's mouth flopped open and she brought one of her fingers to the soft petals. 'Hmmmm, it seems that you have no problem letting go if you get angry enough, and please remember to watch your language. I'm trying to help you, and you are going to get frustrated, but don't take it out on me.' Midoriko scolded. 'Now, let's go home. You need to rest, and so do I. After all of the years listening to the souls in the jewel argue, today is the first time I have ever had this bad of a headache.'

Rolling her eyes, Kagome smiled and carefully picked the rose. She brought it to her nose and took in a deep breath. The rose was very fragrant, and she smiled. The walk home was a pleasant one, but when she reached the street where the shrine was located, she noticed the woman from the house across the street from the shrine sitting on the steps in front of her house, her face ashen and wet with tears.

Biting her lip, Kagome instinctively walked over to her, the woman's pain calling out to her. When the woman lifted her head, Kagome held out the rose to her.

"You know, when someone accuses another of doing something wrong, its often because they are the ones who is doing the act that they are accusing the other of. It's not right for him to hit you, and it would be a shame if one of these days, he hit you and cost you that precious baby that is beneath your heart. It would also be a shame if you hurt your baby with your drinking. Don't you think that you could do better for your baby than what you are doing?" Kagome asked, as she brought herself down to look directly into the woman's eyes.

The woman's face was blank and she softly said, "I can do better for the baby that is under my heart."

Kagome nodded, and turned. She looked both ways to make sure that there were no cars approaching, and then darted across the street and up the shrine steps.

Behind her, the woman blinked and glanced down at her hands to see a beautiful red rose. Lifting the flower up, she took in a deep breath and glanced up when her husband's car appeared and pulled into the driveway.

When he got out, she stood up and walked over to him. Without a word, she allowed her hand to fly, smacking him across the face as hard as she could. Bringing his hand to his cheek, he looked down at his wife, who nodded.

"You know, it just occurred to me why you keep insisting that I am cheating on you. The fact is, it's not me who has been screwing around. It's you. Well, I'm tired of taking your abuse, and I'm tired of trying to be a good wife to you. I'm tired of drinking myself into a stupor after you leave the house, just to dull the pain of your attack. Most of all, I'm tired of you. Go to your whore. You no longer have a home with me, and so help me, if you come near me or this baby that I am carrying, I will get a restraining order." She said, her dark eyes flashing angrily.

As the man tried to talk to her, he was stunned when she turned her back and stomped up the stairs to the front door. Over her shoulder, she tossed a shiny object behind her and said, "Give that to your slut. I don't need it or you, anymore."

The man stared at the door as it shut behind his wife, and allowed his shoulders to slump. He walked over and bent over to retrieve the wedding band that used to adorn her finger. He looked up at the house, but then walked over to his car and within moments, was gone.

Kagome watched from the top of the shrine stairs and nodded in satisfaction. Midoriko chuckled and said, 'I was waiting for a better time to teach you how to use persuasion as a tool, but you seem to be a natural at it. Did you feel him as he was leaving?'

"Yeah, I felt him. He feels guilty, but at the same time, relieved. Now he doesn't have to hide anymore. I don't think that he has digested the fact that he is about to be a father, and when it happens, I think that there will be trouble for her. I might call Hojo and ask him if he can do anything for her, legally, I mean." Kagome murmured. She watched as the front door opened and the young woman step out, holding a tall paper bag. She walked to the garbage can and lifted the lid and placed it on the ground, before reaching into the brown bag. She pulled a bottle that Kagome recognized as the bottle of whiskey that she kept hidden in her drawer in the bedroom. She unscrewed the cap and proceeded to pour out the contents on the ground, before throwing the bottle away.

'Well, it would seem that you save two lives today, Kagome. You saved her from a life of misery and pain with an abusive husband, and you saved her baby from being harmed by the alcohol. It's a step in the right direction.' Midoriko murmured.

Kagome smiled and took in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she savored her small victory. Never before had anything felt so good.

* * *

"Oh, my." Jakotsu purred, his eyes gleaming with lust as he surveyed the men before him. He gripped Bankotsu's arm and squealed, "My puppy is here, Bankotsu. Oh, the fun times we are going to have."

Bankotsu smirked and glanced over at Onigumo. "Well, you want to tell us why you brought us here?" He demanded.

Onigumo yawned and motioned with his hand. "Your release is conditional, of course. Just as mine is. I'm sure you have been told about the threat of Chyjoko, and rumor has it that he is pulling together a group of human and youkai that he hopes will aid him in obtaining the shikon jewel. You are here to aid the group before you with your skills as assassins, and your ability to come up with battle plans. Serve this sentence out, and you will be allowed to be reincarnated. Refuse, and go straight back to Purgatory." He explained, his tone lazy.

Jakotsu paled and gripped Bankotsu's arm. "I don't want to go back there, Bankotsu. I hated it there. Let's just do as he says. I don't ever want to see Purgatory again." He whined and then shuddered.

Suikotsu's eyes traveled over the group and then clashed with a set of deep brown eyes that were staring into his. Moving forward and ignoring the questioning looks of his companions, he walked until he stood before Kikyo, and gave her a slight bow.

"I never got to thank you for releasing me." He said, his tone soft and polite. He watched as Kikyo straightened and nod.

"So, the good doctor emerges. What about your other side? How does he feel about helping us?" She asked.

Suikotsu glanced down at the ground, but then looked up. "He...is not happy. He doesn't wish to help, but he also doesn't want to go back to Purgatory. So, he will do what he has to, and fight along side of your group. But, please don't be fooled. He can't be trusted, and you should not turn your back on him. Especially, you. I'm sorry, Kikyo." He murmured.

Kikyo nodded in understanding. "He is angry that I ended his threat." She said, and watched as he nodded. "Well, he will have to get over it. He will have plenty of time to shed blood. I, however, have none to shed for him."

Suikotsu nodded again, and moved back over to where his brothers stood. Bankotsu hooked his thumbs into the pockets of the jeans he was wearing and asked, "So, when do we begin. I want to get this over with as soon as possible, and I am going to be needing Banryu."


	4. The Truth Shall Set You Free

A/N: Let me first say that the Disney Characters mentioned in this fic belong to Walt Disney. Second, the time for meeting is close at hand. Please read and review. It makes me feel loved and makes my muse happy, happy.

* * *

"Ok, explain to me again why you need Banryu." Koenma mumbled, his fingers massaging his aching temples. It has been less than a day since he released the three assassins, and already, they were making his life a living hell.

"Banryu is my sword. You want us to help you figure out some way to defeat this Chyjoko, and we want our weapons, mainly Banryu. Without them, we are not going to be very effective as far as fighting goes." Bankotsu said, his tone impatient.

At first, he didn't say a word, but after speaking to Onigumo and Genkai, he couldn't really give any kind of excuse as to why the man should not be granted his request. After all, the others were going to have their weapons.

"Alright. I will allow the three of you to have your weapons back, on one condition." Koenma said, his eyes narrowing in a silent challenge. "You do not harm any innocents, or attack your own teammates. To do so will earn you a permanent place in Purgatory, and I will make sure that your suffering will be legendary, even for that god-forsaken place."

The three men glanced at each other, but then Bankotsu nodded. Koenma sighed and glanced at ogre, who was slightly trembling. "Take them to the armory. They may retrieve their weapons. Then, have Botan take them back to the shrine to await for the others return." He ordered.

With a nod, ogre led the men from the room, and when the door closed, Koenma closed his eyes. He had a really bad feeling about all of this.

* * *

Hiei glared at all of the books before him and grunted. After hearing all of the talk about that miko, Kagome, he was slightly interested in how she came to join that weird little group of hers. He decided to tag along with Botan and those three fools, and once at the palace, he made his way to the wing of the palace that he knew would give him the answers he sought.

Finding the books had been the easy part, but figuring out which one to start with had been the challenge. None of them had numbers, or dates, so he would just have to start with the first book that he grabbed and try to figure out things for himself.

It took he a while, but after reading several of the events that Kagome had been involved in, he came to the conclusion that the girl was either a saint, or a glutton for punishment. The books made several references to her love for that blasted hanyou, Inu Yasha, but also made it quite clear that he didn't return her feelings. In fact, he seemed to take the time on several different occasions to inform her that she would never amount to even half of what Kikyo did.

The books mentioned that he could be subdued by a special necklace that was placed around his neck by the miko, Kaede. However, it was Kagome who chose the word that would put him in his place, and the young girl never failed to prove over and over again that she could do it.

But it was the final passage that caught his eye. The passage said that despite all that she felt for the hanyou, deep down, she knew that nothing could ever come of her love. She knew that he would never see her as a woman who loved him, but would continue to see her as the shadow of the woman he truly wanted. She accepted that fact, and despite her heart's yearning, she stepped back and watched as the hanyou and dead miko fall even deeper in love than before.

Hiei closed the book with a loud thud and shook his head. In his opinion, the hanyou was a complete fool. The objective of being with someone was to produce offspring, and enjoy watching the offspring grow. The hanyou would never get to do any of that. It was clear that he regretted the treatment of the younger girl, but regrets were too late, especially now. After all, he was an expert in regrets.

He walked from the library and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. He could feel Botan's aura and moved towards it, intent on getting back to the shrine. Mostly he wanted to keep Kuwabara from making a move on his sister, but he also wanted to begin planning the attack on their enemy. Still, as he walked, his mind continued to flash to the first night that they met Kagome's army, and he could still remember her dark, soulful eyes looking at him. He had averted his eyes, mostly because something as pure, and untainted as she should never have to look into the eyes of a killer, and that was exactly what he was in the truest sense. No, he would not taint her with what he was, and now, she was gone, far from reach, and he, too, felt the loss despite not really knowing her.

He found Botan and the three men, glared at the girlish looking male when he licked his lips while staring at him, and then nodded at Botan. It was time to go and he was more than ready.

* * *

Kagome's head hung off the side of her bed, as she looked through a magazine. After she returned from the park and helped the woman across the street, she realized that she was starving and walked into the house, looking for something to eat.

As if her mother could read her mind, Mrs. Higurashi grinned and pointed at the table, before walking to the over and pulling out a place that had been kept warm for her. As Kagome ate, she and her mother spoke of things that she wanted to do before the weekend, and asked her what her plans were. Kagome nearly snorted when Midoriko quickly replied that they would be training, but simply told her mother that she would probably still be settling back in, getting used to not having to travel between times anymore.

Mrs. Higurashi grinned and got up. She murmured that she needed to sweep the outside walkway and for Kagome to go and relax. It was nice to be able to live a life that didn't constantly have her jumping in and out of a dusty, old well.

However, Kagome's eyes snapped up when she felt a tingling sensation and knew that youkai were approaching the shrine. Getting up, she moved to the window, and watched as several figures emerged from the shadows. Since her window was slightly open, Kagome listened intently for any signs of trouble.

Mrs. Higurashi was humming a sweet tune as she swept, and was so wrapped up in what she was doing that she didn't hear the footsteps that were coming up behind her. So, when a gruff voice said, "Hey, Mrs. H.", she jumped, then swung around to look into a pair of soft golden eyes.

Taking in a deep breath, her eyes darted up to Kagome's room, but noticed that the light was not on. She figured that Kagome must have sensed them and shut it off to keep them from figuring out that she was alive and at home.

"What are you doing here, Inu Yasha? And, why are you dressed in modern clothing?" She asked, her voice slightly shaking.

The hanyou reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, but then sighed. "Mrs. H, for me, it's been five hundred years since I last saw you, of have been here. I know that you were told about Kagome, and I want you to know that we miss her terribly." He said, his tone soft.

He waited for the woman to burst into tears, but was shocked when she didn't. Instead, she cocked her head to the side, and said, "What do you want here, then? Your duty died, along with my daughter." Damn it, she tried, but she just could not keep the bitterness out of her voice. This hanyou before her vowed to protect her daughter, and because he simply couldn't keep his cock in his pants long enough to keep his word, her daughter suffered for it.

She narrowed her eyes when a tall woman who looked very similar to Kagome stepped forward. From all that she heard from Kagome, she could guess that this woman, no...thing, was Kikyo.

Kikyo could feel the anger rolling off of the woman, and could not say that she blamed her. She stepped forward and bowed in respect to the woman, but knew that she would not receive a bow in return, and that was alright. After all, she had just lost her daughter and there was no doubt in her mind that Kagome mentioned her to the woman, and most likely, it was not in a flattering way, either.

"My name is Kikyo, and before you say anything, please allow me to speak without being interrupted." She said, her voice firm. She glanced up at the woman, and found that her arms were crossed, as if she were waiting for her to get on with what she was going to say. "I was asked to come here and create a barrier for you and your family. At this time, a threat has emerged, and we believe that you will be in danger. Until we can figure out just how strong this being is, we want to make sure that you and your remaining family are protected." She explained.

Mrs. Higurashi cocked up an eyebrow and calmly asked, "Are you finished?" When Kikyo nodded, Mrs. Higurashi stepped forward and allowed her hand to fly across Kikyo's face with a surprising amount of strength. The dead miko's head slowly turned forward and looked into the angered eyes of a mother, whose daughter she ruthlessly damaged.

"For the life of me, I don't know why you care. Yes, I know exactly who you are. Kikyo, stealer of souls, and Inu Yasha's whore. I'm sure you danced the night away when my daughter died, because after all, you now had Inu Yasha all to yourself. Tell me, what is it like to know that you singlehandedly damaged another person, your reincarnation, just for the sake of getting what you want? You coming here and offering to place up some kind of barrier for my family's protection is like a slap in my daughter's face, and bitch, I won't let you do it." Mrs. Higurashi snapped.

The broom fell to the ground, and Mrs. Higurashi held up her fists, ready to fight the dead whore, but a voice stopped her. "No."

Her eyes darted to a tall, young man and watched as he came forward. He stopped a few feet away from her and calmly said, "We are all guilty of a trespass against your daughter of one kind or another, but time has a way of making someone regret the things that they do. We cannot bring your daughter back, but we can show her that we do care for her by making sure that her family is safe and protected. It's a tragedy when a parent outlives their child, and for that, you have my heart-felt apologies. I wish I could change the past, but I can't. Instead, we have to live with our guilt, and you must live with your pain."

Mrs. Higurashi's eyes filled with tears, as she stared at the man, his pain reaching out to her. Finally, she quietly asked, "Who are you?"

The young man's eyes drooped a bit, and his shoulders sagged. "I-I am...no one. You don't want to know me, and I would rather you didn't. Besides, the most important thing here is to get that barrier up and keep you safe." He quietly said.

Turning on his heel, he moved to the back of the group and watched as Mrs. Higurashi silently debated her dilemma. Finally, she bit her lip and slowly nodded, but then pointed a finger at Inu Yasha and Kikyo.

"I hope that the time you spend together is miserable. You made my daughter's life a living hell, and you, you took everything she had and used it up and threw it away like it was a piece of trash. Boy, if I had the ability, I'd sit your ass." She snapped, but widened her eyes as the beads around Inu Yasha's neck glowed and sent him face first into the concrete.

At first, no one said anything, but then Mrs. Higurashi shook her head, and said, "You know, that was very satisfying. No wonder Kagome often sat you. It relieves a lot of tension. Now, if only you had one, my dear Kikyo, then I'd be the happiest woman on earth. Put your barrier up and then get off of this shrine. You don't belong here, seeing as this is a holy place."

Kikyo quietly nodded, and lifted her hand. When her barrier was in place, she turned and quickly walked off, her head hanging at the woman's harsh words. Inu Yasha stood, rubbed his neck, and grabbed Miroku's arm.

"Kagome was the only one who could do that. Do you think that ability passed to her mother when she died?" He asked, his eyes wide and frantic as he glanced over his shoulder at the angry woman. Damn, he'd forgotten how much being sat actually hurt.

Miroku gulped and glanced over his shoulder to see the woman still glaring at them. He bit his lip and whispered, "I don't know, but I hope that Kagome-sama didn't tell her mother about my affliction. I don't heal as well as a hanyou or youkai."

* * *

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she took in the forms that approached her mother. At first, she didn't recognize the beings, but then froze when she heard Inu Yasha's words to her mother.

At first, she thought that she would pass out, but managed to shake off the feeling and listened as her mother confronted Kikyo. If she were a stranger, she would almost feel sorry for the dead miko, but since she was very familiar with the miko, despite their truce before her death, she could honestly say that Karma was coming back to kick Kikyo's butt.

However, it was her mother's angry words that shocked Kagome the most. Never before had her mother called anyone a bitch, nor did she instigate violence. Kagome's eyes teared up and she smiled, thankful that the fates and Shikon gifted her with the ability to come back to this wonderful woman.

Midoriko's laughter could be heard, and Kagome smirked when she said, 'It is nice to know that your mother has our back. I think that she has managed to get her point across to the smug bitch, don't you?'

Kagome was about to reply, but another voice made her freeze. She knew that voice. Knew it as if it were her very own. It was the voice from her nightmares, and now, that creature was alive and well, and talking to her mother.

Moving from her place against the wall, Kagome approached the window and felt her temper flare. Midoriko began to warn her against getting so emotional, but she just could not help it. Her hands began to glow and she could feel her power beginning to radiate off her body. However, she heard his words, and watched as he moved back to the end of the small group, his shoulders sagging. Extending her senses, she could not detect any kind of evil intent, but rather a sadness that clung to him like a second skin. Her power lessened, but there was still enough to do damage should they try anything against her mother.

Kagome's attention quickly snapped back to her mother, and when she heard her mother say the word, 'sit', she whispered it, too, and watched as the necklace glowed and caused the hanyou to plummet to the ground. Hard.

Kagome could remember when her mother once asked her why she was always sitting Inu Yasha, and now, she knew why. It was pretty funny and she could not keep the giggle that was threatening to leak out, at bay any longer.

Kikyo finally put up the barrier, and walked away, her head hanging. Kagome heard Inu Yasha's question about her mother gaining the ability to sit him, and also heard Miroku's whispered hope. Sadly for him, yes...she did tell her mother about him.

Nighttime came pretty quickly, and though her mother did not say it, Kagome knew that she was still pretty worked up from earlier confrontation. However, when the house quieted down, and Kagome knew that everone was asleep, she crept out her window and carefully climbed up to the roof, intent on watching the stars for a while.

Midoriko sighed happily and recounted stories from her days as a warrior miko, before finally announcing that she, too, was tired and would be settling down for the night. Kagome grinned as she felt the former miko settle and quiet, and when all was quiet within her mind, she sighed.

For once, she felt at peace. She could feel the emotions radiating off of the city before her, and smiled when she glanced at the house before her and felt that the woman inside finally felt happy. It was nice to know, and hopefully, she would one day meet a man who would love and protect her the way a husband should. Especially for that baby's sake.

However, her peace was interrupted when her eyes caught sight of an object that was slowly approaching the shrine from the air. Narrowing her eyes, she could tell that whatever it was, it was big. It stopped shortly before reaching the barrier, and Kagome heard it hiss. At first, she was worried that it would attempt to break into the barrier, but so far, it seemed that all the creature was doing was looking at it.

The creature moved closer, and Kagome decided that enough was enough. Focusing all of her energy, she narrowed her eyes and concentrated on the creature.

'Keep your distance, if you know what is good for you.' She thought, as the air around her began to crackle with her energy.

The creature hissed loudly, but turned back into the night. Clearly, it got her message and felt her power. Biting her lip, Kagome wondered if this creature was what Shikon was talking about. However, since it would be a wasted effort to ponder over it, she decided to wait until morning to speak to Midoriko about what she had seen.

Climbing back into her window, Kagome paused before turning to face the barrier and allowed some of her power to join with Kikyo's to reinforce the barrier. Satisfied that nothing would come through, Kagome changed into her nightshirt, and got into bed. It was tough to be a phoenix.

* * *

"The barrier is in place, and now, we can proceed." Onigumo said, his red eyes moving around the room.

Bankotsu stood up and stretched. "We need to start sending out groups to look around. The more information we get about what we are dealing with, the better our chances are to find a weakness." He said, his tone hard.

Murmurs were heard around the room, and only stopped when Botan appeared with Koenma behind her. At first, everyone was stunned, but then Yusuke snapped, "Have you come to mingle with the grunts, toddler?"

Keiko bopped the loud-mouthed man on the head, and gave the prince a tired smile. "Sorry, we have not gotten a lot of sleep lately." She explained.

The prince nodded and sat down beside Genkai. He took in a deep breath and said, "My father has become aware of the situation and I have gained a bit of insight into why Chyjoko wishes to overthrow him. It seems that Chyjoko and my father are related, and when my father was chosen to rule of the spirit realm, Chyjoko became enraged and tried to overthrow him, but was defeated by an unknown ally and he was banished to purgatory. From what father says, we are going to need a lot of power to defeat Chyjoko, and to be honest, I don't know if we have enough power nor do I know where to go to find someone with that power."

The group processed the prince's words, and then Kurama asked, "Who helped your father the last time? Perhaps we can go to them and ask for help."

Koenma shook his head. "I already thought of that, and when I asked my father, he said that he didn't know who helped him. He was quite embarrassed to admit that he had been unconscious when Chyjoko was stopped, and all he could tell me was that whoever helped him had an amount of power that he had never experienced before or since. He felt it even when he was unconscious." He explained.

Koenma shook his head and turned his eyes towards the dead miko, who had her head upon the hanyou's shoulder. Quirking up his eyebrow, he asked, "Why are you upset, Kikyo? You set up the barrier, thus keeping that family safe. You should be proud."

Sitting up, Kikyo sighed. "Yes, I did set the barrier up, but only because Naraku convinced Kagome's mother to allow me to do so. She knew me, and didn't hesitate to tell me what she thought of me. I-I didn't realize how much damage I did, but after listening to the woman, maybe it would have been better if I had stayed dead." She whispered.

Inu Yasha leap up. "Kikyo, no. Don't talk like that. Mrs. H was upset about losing her daughter, and took it out on you. Remember that she was grieving." He murmured, trying to sooth his woman.

Onigumo snorted. "Actually, she looked quite pleased with herself after smacking the dead miko, and sending your ass to the ground. If that was grieving, I'd hate to see what she would do if she were angry." He said.

Inu Yasha really hated that man. Stepping forward, he snapped, "Yeah? I didn't see you telling her what your name was. Too much of a coward even now, Naraku?"

Onigumo smiled, but it was anything but friendly. He stepped forward and calmly gazed into the hanyou's face. "You wish to speak about cowards, Inu Yasha? Then, let us discuss cowards. Each time Kikyo came to you under the cover of night, did you tell the young miko that you were leaving her to run to your former lover? Did you explain to her that though you cared for her, your heart belonged to the dead miko? Did you tell the girl that you and Kikyo mated every night for several months prior to our final battle? Did you tell her that she was wasting her time on you, and to find herself someone else to love?" He asked. When no answer came, he gave a sharp laugh. "Of course not. You were too cowardly to let that girl go, because if she did and found someone else, and Kikyo left, you would be all alone. You could not bear to see that girl happy, and so, you led her on to believe that the two of you would be together, but when Kikyo made it clear that she would not be returning to hell, you threw the girl over and walked off into the sunset with your woman, leaving that girl behind to nurse a broken heart. You see, Inu Yasha. I was honest in my ability to be a heartless bastard. You, my friend, hid it very well. So, don't speak to me about being a coward. You are the biggest coward here. By the way, I prefer to be called Onigumo."

Inu Yasha felt the color drain from his face and felt Kikyo tug his hand. As he sat down, he allowed Onigumo's words to replay and realized...the man was right. He was afraid that Kagome would leave him. He did lead her on.

Kikyo placed a comforting hand upon the hanyou's shoulder, but was shocked when it was shrugged off. Biting her lip, she allowed her hand to fall to her lap and stared at it.

Jakotsu quietly moved over to sit next to the hanyou. He leaned over, caught the hanyou's eye and gave him a suggestive wink. "Women are so much trouble, handsome. Why not let me show you how good the forbidden love between men can be?" He asked, his tone heavy with lust.

Paling, Inu Yasha scooted over towards Kikyo and took in a deep breath. He didn't care how upset he was...he wasn't distraught enough to let his gate swing that way.

Bankotsu glared over at his teammate and snapped his fingers to get Jakotsu's attention. When the male looked at him, Bankotsu narrowed his eyes, a silent command for Jakotsu to come to him. Pouting, the feminine male walked over to Bankotsu, but then gave him a bright smile. After all this time, Bankotsu should be used to his ways by now.

Sesshomaru looked up from the map that he, Kouga, and Hiei were currently looking at. Standing up, he said, "Let's divide the groups up. From what we have been told from the wind youkai, Jin, there is heavy youkai energy in a park several miles from here, but close to the Higurashi shrine. Jin has been keeping an eye on the area, and will meet up with the group assigned to that area. His friend, an ice youkai, will meet another group, while another youkai meets with the final group. Apparently, this third youkai is something of a drunk, so watch yourselves."

The group agreed, and Hiei smirked. Finally, he was going to get to see some action.

* * *

'Hmmm, I'm shocked that a youkai would dare come to the shrine, especially since it was smart enough to recognize a barrier. I think that we need to step up our training, especially if this threat isn't wasting any time in trying to find a way to attack.' Midoriko said, her tone thoughtful.

Kagome frowned. She did a lot of thinking before she finally fell asleep. Why was it that Midoriko was so anxious to push her, and why is it that the former miko was so insistent on her keeping control of her emotions?

Finally, Kagome's curiosity got the best of her and she asked, "Why are you so bossy?"

Ok, that was not the way she planned on approaching the subject, but as long as she got the answers she wanted, then who gave a damn.

Midoriko was silent for several minutes, before quietly asking, 'You wish to know why I am so hard on you? You also want to know why I am so hard on your training, correct?'

When Kagome replied, Midoriko sighed. 'Kagome, the phoenix is a creature made up of raw, natural power. Before you became its vessel, it lived freely and didn't have rules to follow. It killed when it wanted, and could destroy things within seconds. Because you have joined with the phoenix, and taken its place, the phoenix's power is intensified. And, because your original power was tied into your emotions, anytime you get upset, there is a good chance that you can cause some massive damage, even if you don't mean to. I push you to learn to control yourself because if you slip, if you lose your temper at a critical time, you could destroy those that you love, and those whom depend upon you for protection.' She explained.

Kagome's eyes widened as Midoriko assaulted her mind with images of what could happen should she snap. It wasn't a pretty sight. In fact, the scenes that she saw made all of the destruction that Naraku caused seem like child's play.

'I know this information frightens you. However, the reason why Shikon placed us together was so that I could help you, and keep your power in check. The remaining holy power that I have will act as a failsafe for your new power, at least until you are able to gain total control over your powers as a phoenix.' Midoriko said.

Kagome smiled and said, "So, basically you are going to be my conscience. Kind of like that cricket in Pinocchio."

Midoriko chuckled. She could remember that movie, seeing as how she watched life pass by through Kagome's eyes, even before the discovery of the shikon jewel. 'Something like that. Now do you understand my reasons for being so hard?'

"Yeah, I guess. But, could you try not to be so mean about it? I am new to this, and you getting mad at me for not being able to do something isn't going to make things better." Kagome muttered.

Midoriko thought for a moment, but then agreed. 'Alright, we will try it your way. I'll lay off the attitude, but you have to try harder. No one ever said that this was going to be easy, and one day, you won't have me to help you control your powers. So, that being said, let us move on to the next lesson. Today, you will learn how to shimmer.'

"What's that?" Kagome asked, her interest evident. When the miko chuckled, Kagome huffed and waited anxiously for her to explain. 'The ability to shimmer is a form of transportation.' Midoriko explained.

"Why can't I just fly if I want to get somewhere?" Kagome asked, her brows knitting together. 'Because you don't have that ability, and trust me when I say that flying is not all that it's cracked up to be, anyways. Shimmering will allow you to get somewhere quicker, and it is less stressful.' Midoriko replied. Thankfully, shimmering did not need that much coordination, and because she was naturally clumsy, if she could fly, it would have been a disaster, especially during landings. But, that in itself could be amusing. Oh well.

Kagome sighed and readied herself for the lesson. She could not wait to get started.


	5. Rememberance And Regrets

"Maybe we are not doing it right." Kagome said, her dark eyes widening at the scenery around her.

'I don't understand. We did everything we were supposed to, and yet, look at where we are now. Hmmm, I wonder where exactly we are, anyways.' Midoriko murmured.

Kagome bit her lip and glanced over to her left. "Well, from the looks of things, I would say that we are in Egypt." She said, her tone dry. Of all the places in the world, they had to shimmer to the place that was hotter than hell.

'Egypt? What makes you think that we are in Egypt?' Midoriko asked, still trying to figure out where they went wrong during the shimmering.

"Well, to my left stands the great sphinx. And, to my right is a camel, who has been eyeballing me for the last five minutes. Call me crazy, but I doubt that we have these two things in Japan." Kagome said, her eyes trained upon the camel. She narrowed her eyes as she noticed a lot of white foam at the mouth of the camel and hissed, "If you spit on me, let me assure you that there will be one less camel in this world."

Midoriko laughed, and then sighed. 'I still can't figure out what in the hell we are doing wrong. This makes the fourth time that our attempts have failed, and I want to know why. As amusing as it is to hear you threaten an animal, we need to figure this out so that we can get home.' She said.

Kagome agreed. She wanted to get away from that camel, who was still eyeballing her, and she also wanted something to eat. But, like Midoriko, she didn't know what she needed to do to get home. Walking towards the sphinx, she decided that if they were stuck there for a while, she was going to look at the monument that she had only seen in books.

Midoriko continued to murmur in her head and Kagome fought to ignore it. However, when the miko grumbled that it somehow must be Kagome's fault, the younger female froze and calmly said, "How can I be at fault, when it is you who is teaching me? After all, I have followed your instructions perfectly, and because of it, we scared the shit out of a few people at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and might I add that the french are not nearly as rude as people have made them seem, then we some how, under your instruction, if you will remember, found ourselves on an island somewhere in the middle of an ocean and last but not least, let's not forget that we are standing beside the sphinx. So, would you care to tell me again how this must in some way be my fault?"

When no answer came, Kagome nodded. "I didn't think so. Ok, we have to be making this into a bigger issue that it really is. I wonder if I simply concentrated on a particular spot, then perhaps that is where we will appear." She said.

'It's worth a try, and Kagome, it seems you made yourself a new friend.' Midoriko laughed, causing Kagome to turn and groan. That damn camel had followed her and didn't budge when she snapped, "Shoo...go away."

When that didn't work, Kagome gritted her teeth and decided to try out her theory. Any place would be better than standing next to a smelly camel.

Closing her eyes, Kagome allowed the image of the park near her family's shrine to appear and she felt her power surround her, once more. She could feel the changes in temperature, and sighed when she realized that it wasn't as hot as it was before. Cracking open an eye, Kagome was relieved to see a familiar statue of a dragon before her. However, the joy of knowing that she managed to shimmer was short lived, when she realized that she managed to shimmer herself into the middle of a very large tree.

Groaning, Kagome began the task of climbing down, and did her best to ignore the laughter that was coming from Midoriko. This had been a long day, already.

* * *

Jin's eyes narrowed as he felt a surge of power. He, along with the others, had been informed that a threat to the realms decided to begin his invasion in the human realm, but as he tried to locate the power source, the only thing he saw was a young woman climbing down from the large tree that stood in front of the dragon statue that stood near the middle of the park.

He watched with amused eyes as she lost her grip and fell to the ground, but quickly stood up and looked around to see if anyone saw her. Though he could not see her face, her hair gained his attention.

It was long, and obviously well kept. But, the color is what caught his attention the most. Though most of her hair was as black as night, there were streaks of red and orange, with a tint of yellow running through the strands, reminding him of fire. He could not help but wonder if the strands were as soft as they were beautiful.

However, his attentions were soon averted, when the young woman flipped that mass of hair over and began to shake out the leaves and twigs that had gotten stuck. His eyes roamed down to a very shapely backside and he flexed his hand, his length hardening. Gods, she was something else.

He watched, to his disappointment, as she flipped her hair back, and stood up straight. She ran her fingers through her hair and he noticed that she failed to notice that she had a leaf on the top of her head. Lifting his hand, he sent a gentle wind over to her, and watched as the leaf flew to the ground.

A smile lit up his face and he watched as the woman shrugged and began to walk towards the entrance of the park. If only he didn't have to wait for the arrival of the group chosen to come to him, he would have run after her and shown her what it would be like to experience the pleasures that a youkai held. But, alas...he was youkai and she was human and that kind of joining was frowned upon where he was from. Oh, well. But, that didn't mean that he couldn't indulge in some naughty fantasies about her later on when he was in his bed. Oh yes, that was something he would be looking forward to.

He allowed his senses to extend once more, and frowned. The surge of power was gone and he cursed his stupidity for allowing his attention to be diverted. However, a flash of light behind him caused him to turn and he smiled as Botan stepped out of her portal and waved at him.

The group that walked out behind her gave him a brief nod, before sitting down and looking up at him, waiting for him to report his findings, and boy, did he have something to report.

* * *

Kagome huffed and rubbed her backside as she glanced around to see if anyone watched her fall. When she was satisfied that she would not have to endure someone rushing over to her, asking if she was alright, she began the task of removing the leaves and sticks that got caught in her hair.

As she shook out the leaves, Midoriko asked, 'Has it escaped your attention that there is a youkai right behind us?'

"No, it has not, but I am shocked that you noticed. You didn't even know where we were a few minutes ago, and now you are grumbling about my attentions. Yes, I am aware that there is a youkai behind me, and since he doesn't have a threatening aura, nor has he approached me, I am not going to worry about it." Kagome replied as her fingers continued to comb through the mass of hair.

When she was satisfied that she got everything out, she tossed her hair back and sighed at a job well done, but when a gentle wind blew over her and a small leaf floated before her eyes, Kagome shrugged and realized that her stomach was growling. Midoriko was quietly mumbling to herself, and that gave Kagome time to think.

Walking towards the entrance, she walked quickly and once she was around the corner, a burst of power caused her to stop. Narrowing her eyes, she allowed her senses to extend, and even though the power was no where near hers as far as strength, she could not help but be concerned.

But, as quickly as it appeared, the power faded, and Kagome shook her head. Well, perhaps it was that youkai she sensed in the park. Seeing as how she didn't feel anything evil about it, she would just let it go.

Moving quickly towards her house, Kagome was greeted by the smell of cooking food and her stomach twitched in anticipation. Mom was making oden, and it smelled heavenly.

* * *

Once he was done talking, Jin glanced around at the strange group surrounding him. Hiei seemed a bit agitated, but for once, wasn't making snide remarks. The inu hanyou and wolf were quietly bickering back and forth about something, only to be told to shut up by the female wolf.

Kurama and Sesshomaru were in deep conversation and waved him over. Once he was next to them, Kurama asked, "Are you sure, Jin?"

"Aye, I'm sure. Youkai are flockin' tae this place fer some reason. I'm a-thinkin' tha' it has somethin' tae do with tha' shrine yer protectin'" Jin replied.

Sesshomaru nodded at the irish youkai. He glanced over his shoulder and took in a large breath. A scent hit his nose and he found himself closing his eyes.

"Aye, 'tis verra nice. The lass it belongs tae just left as ye and yer boys arrived." Jin said, grinning. Damn, even now that female was stirring his body into arousal, and he didn't even see her face.

Kurama, too, took in the scent and closed his eyes to savor it. Indeed, it did smell wonderful, but they were not there to sniff the air, or daydream about some girl that it belonged to. So, he opened his eyes and motioned for Hiei to come over to him.

"Do you sense anything about this place?" He asked, knowing full well that Hiei had already scanned the area with the jagen.

"Hn. Something was here, and it was strong. I doubt that it was friendly." Hiei replied, his hand resting upon the hilt of his katana.

"So, what are we going to do? We can't just sit here and wait for the fucking thing to reappear." Inu Yasha snapped, his argument with Kouga forgotten.

"That is exactly what we are going to do, Inu Yasha." Sesshomaru replied, his tone bored. "If Jin is correct, and Chyjoko is using this park as a meeting place, then we will be here waiting on him."

"But, what if he doesn't come? What if it is one of his followers? Will we engage them?" Shippo asked, standing.

Sesshomaru regarded the kitsune with quiet eyes. Out of all of them, Kagome's death had hit him the hardest. He watched as the woman he called mother die by Naraku's hands, and now that the creature was within reach, he would not be allowed to exact his revenge. However, through the years, Shippo grew strong and was a force when he was angry. It was his love for his adoptive mother that made him insist that he be on the team that would go to the park, just so that he could be near the place she called home.

"Then, we deal with Chyjoko's underling as we would deal with any other enemy. Believe me, they will talk, if give the right amount of persuasion." Sesshomaru replied.

Nodding, Shippo turned and sat underneath a large tree. Closing his eyes, he could still hear her, feel her arms around him, even after all this time. If only he had been older, stronger...then, his mother would still be with him. He should have stopped her from going after Naraku.

Kurama knew that Shippo was hurting. It was clear in his scent and his posture. Youko had been silent long enough. He knew as the older kitsune, he had an obligation to help the younger kitsune deal with the pain of losing his mother. He told his human counterpart to release his hold, and made sure his tone left no room for argument.

Shuuichi knew what Youko was planning to do and so, he allowed his control to slip and felt Youko surge forward. Within seconds, the change was complete and Youko moved forward towards Shippo. Sitting down next to the younger male, Youko quietly said, "Nothing you could have done would have stopped her. Your mother was determined to see Naraku's threat destroyed, and destroy it, she did."

Shippo gave a soft laugh. "Don't you think I know that? I have replayed that day in my mind, over and over, and yet, I can't help but wonder what life would have been like had she not died." He replied, and noticed that all eyes and ears were upon him.

"Would you like to know how I met her?" He asked, his green eyes turning towards Youko. When the elder male nodded, Shippo's eyes turned to the sky and he smiled as the memory came rushing forth. "My family was murdered, and my father skinned by the thunder brothers. I decided to go after them and in order to do so, I needed shikon shards. Kagome had shards and I went after them. But, because of my size, I was stopped and Kagome listened as to why I needed them. It was after I explained my situation that I made a play for the shards and thought that I was home free, but I hid underneath a skull, and when they noticed my hiding place moving, Inu Yasha came up from behind and punched me in my head. I began to like Kagome when afterwards, she told me to think happy thoughts as she sprayed some stingy stuff on the injury that Inu Yasha caused."

All eyes turned towards the hanyou, and he blanched. Youko glared at the hanyou, but turned his attention back to Shippo. "I loved her, maybe even more than I loved my biological mother. In large families, there are never enough treats or attention to go around, but when Kagome came into my life, suddenly, I had all the attention and she never failed to bring me treats, even if it wasn't a special occasion. She just did it because she loved me." He said, his green eyes misting over in memory.

Youko reached around the younger male and pulled him into an embrace. Kitsunes responded to touches more than words, and this was a time when Shippo need something more than sympathetic words.

Inu Yasha felt his heart go out to Shippo, and knew that his own pain dulled in comparison. He sighed and turned to look at the setting sun. Kagome loved Shippo, and everyone knew it. There were times when he had been so jealous that he wanted to grab the runt by his tail and fling him away from the human miko. But, Shippo was Kagome's baby. Her actions proved that fact more than words ever could and Shippo knew it. He was hers, just as she was his.

Sesshomaru turned from the scene and closed his eyes. He could understand the pain that Shippo felt. It was the same exact pain that he experienced upon finding his own father dead. He should have been with the elder inu youkai, but his damn foolish pride caused him to turn his back and because of it, his father died. He, again, experienced the pain of losing a loved one when Rin passed on due to sickness in her tenth year of life. He never allowed the human child to call him anything other than Sesshomaru-Sama, but when she died, the last words upon her lips were, "Father."

She was his pup. He didn't sire her, but he did give her life. She belonged to him in every aspect of the word, and the one thing she had always wanted to call him, was denied to her. It took him years to overcome the guilt and pain of his actions, but now, in the garden of his vast estate in the youkai realm, sat a headstone, and upon it was the date of Rin's rebirth, and the date she died. Underneath, he placed the words, 'Beloved daughter of Sesshomaru, Lord of the west.'

Every year, on the anniversary of her death, Sesshomaru would walk to her headstone, and sit there, remembering her, and hoping that where ever she was, she was happy. He learned that family is not always about blood. Love has a way of tying people, human and youkai, together. It was Rin's love that bound him, and it was through her that he finally knew the importance of family.

Hiei watched the scene with narrowed eyes. He didn't know what it felt like to be loved. Hell, his own sister didn't know who he was. How could he ever tell her that he, the forbidden child, was her brother? The deaths that were upon his head, and the reputation that revolved around him would frighten her. So, he could not say that he ever had anyone's love. All he had was himself, and that was how he wanted to keep it.

* * *

Kagome was jerked out of her peaceful slumber. At first, she was confused, and knew that no youkai, without her consent, could cross her barrier. Jumping out of bed, she rushed to the window, and saw a dark figure slowly making its way up the shrine steps.

Narrowing her eyes, she allowed her senses to extend and discovered that the intruder was human. Frowning, Kagome quickly yanked on a pair of jeans and shirt, then darted out of her room and down the stairs. She took note that her family was still asleep and quickly exited the house.

The human moved closer, and Kagome stepped forward, still covered by the shadows. At first, the human did not see her, but froze when Kagome calmly said, "The shrine is closed. If you wish to speak with the monk who lives here, you will have to do it during the day."

The human began to chuckle, and Kagome realized that she was dealing with a woman. When the woman stopped laughing, she said, "I am not here to visit the shrine. I want to speak to the people who live here. Now, be a good girl and get them for me."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. They are all asleep, and it would be rude for me to disturb them." She replied, her tone soft.

The woman's voice turned hard and she snapped, "If you don't get them, then I will. I'll drag their asses out here, and my master will rip them apart before your eyes, you little bitch."

That was all Kagome needed to hear. Stepping from the shadows, Kagome watched as the woman looked her up and down. She could feel Midoriko stirring within her mind, but something was holding the former miko back. To be honest, she really didn't care.

Kagome's face broke out into a smile, though it was not a very friendly one. Walking towards the woman, Kagome allowed her power to surface and felt the flames as they began to dance over her skin. Creating a barrier around the woman and herself, Kagome turned her eyes to the woman and watched as she began to shake. It simply would not do to have her family awaken because of the woman's screams.

"Now, tell me about this master of yours. I believe that I would like to meet him and I think that you are the perfect candidate to take me to him." Kagome said, as her power grew and crackled violently around her.

The woman whimpered, and backed up, but froze when her back hit the barrier. Shaking her head, she whispered, "I can't tell you. If I do, he will kill me."

Kagome laughed, and said, "And, if you don't, I'll kill you. Sadly, things don't look good for you, but let me assure you, what your master does to you will seem like fun compared to what I will do to you."

The woman felt her bladder let go and knew that the female before her could back her words up. Suddenly, the words tumbled from her mouth and she felt powerless to stop them. When she was finished, Kagome backed off from her and looked to the sky.

"Go to your master. Tell him that if he continues to send his followers to this shrine, I will kill them off. I don't give a damn what he wants, nor do I care about any of those he controls. Now, go." Kagome hissed, and allowed her barrier to drop.

The woman picked herself up off of the ground and turned. She didn't see Kagome lift her hand and extend it towards her, nor did she see the flames that wrapped around Kagome's hand. But, when the power hit her, she opened her mouth to scream, but nothing care out.

Kagome slowly approached the burning female and smiled grimly. "I changed my mind. I'll tell him myself, just to make sure he understands how serious I am about this. Besides, I didn't trust you to tell him anyways."

Turning on her heel, Kagome made her way back into the house, and with each step, she felt her power die down. Soon, she was back in bed, and asleep.

Midoriko, on the other hand, was wide awake. Something held her back from Kagome, and because of it, Kagome killed a human woman. This was not supposed to happen. Was it possible that the original phoenix was attempting to assert its dominance over Kagome, and if it was, how could it be stopped? The souls of the jewel assured her that the original phoenix was gone, but perhaps it had just laid dormant.

Either way, if Kagome didn't get a firm grip on things, she had a feeling that all hell would break loose, and she didn't know if there was anyone who was powerful enough to stop Kagome.

* * *

Heads snapped up and eyes turned towards the direction of the Higurashi shrine. Without saying a single word, the large group took off, and ran towards the shrine, intent on finding out what caused such a large power surge.

Hiei got to the shrine first, and soon found himself staring down at a pile of ash, his crimson eyes narrowing. When the others joined him, he gestured to the ground and said, "It would appear that we are too late to find out what happened, but from the looks of things, an intruder met an untimely end."

Sesshomaru nodded and knelt down by the ashes. Taking in a long breath, he closed his eyes and sighed. "It was a stranger, and not related to Kagome's family. I would say that Kikyo's barrier is more effective than what we first thought. It seems that whomever this was, attempted to enter the barrier and was destroyed. However, I cannot detect if it was youkai or human." He announced, his golden eyes straying towards the group.

Kouga growled and glared at the others. "I say we place up a guard. We need to be sure that those people are protected, and until the threat has ended, we need to be cautious." He said.

Hiei snorted. "Were you not here when the inu youkai stated that the barrier took care of the threat. If we start hanging around here, it will draw more attention to this place and could tempt Chyjoko into using one, if not all, of those people as pawns in any action he takes against us. I say we let things go as is. Besides, we all felt the power, and I doubt there is anything that could withstand a direct assault from it. They are safe enough." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Indeed." Sesshomaru agreed, and motioned for the others to follow him. He glanced over his shoulder and stopped when he saw Shippo staring longingly up at the house. Clearing his throat, Sesshomaru finally gained the red kitsune's attention and motioned for him to follow.

Soon, the group, with the exception of Jin, was back at Genkai's shrine and reported what happened. Koenma's eyes widened and he turned to look at Kikyo. "I didn't know your barriers were that strong. Good thinking, Kikyo." He said, his eyes dancing.

Kikyo bit her lip, but then shook her head. "I'm sorry, but my barriers don't work like that. They won't kill. They will keep youkai out, but won't harm anyone. Whatever killed that person, or youkai, it wasn't my barrier." She said.

Koenma frowned, but turned quickly when a portal opened behind him. Botan quickly rushed out, turned and bowed. Stepping from the portal, Lord Enma stood tall and narrowed his eyes.

"I want to know everything. I want details and I want to know what actions have been taken. This time, if he wishes to fight me, Chyjoko is going to find that I am not the easy target that I once was." He said, his tone hard. "Botan, you may go. However, be ready at any time, for I will be needing your services."

"Yes, sire." Botan said, her tone timid. This was the first time that the lord of the spirit realm set foot into the human realm, so this situation is more serious that what she first thought.

Once the ferry girl disappeared, Lord Enma glanced at his son, and lifted an eyebrow. "Well, what is it?" He demanded.

Koenma took in a deep breath. "Sit down, father. We have something that you need to know." He said.

* * *

"Give me your report." The male said, his tone calm. He waited as the man stood up and walked to the front of the group.

"I don't know how it happened, but the minute Anki came through the barrier, something hit her from behind and she was reduced to ash. Master, I swear, I didn't see who did it, but from the look on Anki's face, she was terrified." The man replied, nervously.

Dark eyes narrowed and a hand ran through long, crimson hair. "I see. It would appear that the miko's family is being protected, but the question is, who exactly is protecting them? I want to know who it is that we are dealing with. Once we know, we can figure out a way to kill them off." Chyjoko said, his tone lazy.

The group before him bowed low, and backed into the shadows. Once he was alone, the smile melted off of his face and his eyes narrowed. It was so long ago that he nearly won the battle for the rights to dominate over the realms, but had that fucking phoenix had to intervene, and because of it, he was sentenced to an eternity in purgatory.

The phoenix had been a force he had not encountered before. It held a power that was primal and vicious, but there was an intelligence, cunning, and empathy that made it more than simply a mindless beast. And, it was that creature who was responsible for his downfall.

But, once he gained control of the Shikon Jewel, he would make Enma pay and as for the phoenix, he would render it defenseless, and then take out his anger upon it.

A grim smile crossed his lips and Chyjoko glanced up at the sky. Paybacks were coming, and may the gods help any who get in his way.


End file.
